1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices for supporting workpieces. The invention relates more particularly to an improved auxiliary support means for extending the usefulness of such devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Workpiece support devices are known for gripping and supporting a workpiece during working operations. A device of this type generally comprises a vise having a pair of jaw members and a means for adjusting the spacing between the jaw members for gripping and releasing the workpiece. The size of a workpiece which can be gripped by the device is limited principally by the maximum spacing between gripping faces of the jaw members when the jaws are adjusted to a maximum opening. The gripping spacing for a workpiece has been increased by the use of demountable, auxiliary support bodies, referred to as swivel pegs, which are mounted to the gripping members and which are adapted to receive and engage a workpiece. A swivel peg includes a mounting segment which is positioned in an aperture of the gripping member and is supported on a surface of the member. The auxiliary support body is adapted to engage an edge of a workpiece while a similar swivel peg on another gripping member of the device similarly engages and grips another edge of the workpiece. Since the swivel bodies are set back from the jaw faces of the gripping member, they thereby effectively provide an enlarged jaw opening for gripping workpieces larger than the spacing between the jaw members can accommodate.
An improved form of portable vise for supporting a workpiece during relatively moderate to light working operations, which is of relatively light weight and which can be fabricated relatively economically is described in copending U.S. Patent Application, Ser. No. 042,778, which was filed on May 29, 1979 and which is assigned to the assignee of this invention. In that workpiece support arrangement, a spacing between movable jaw members is limited by the size of various components. In order to effectively enlarge this jaw spacing, an aperture is formed in each jaw member and a swivel peg is demountably supported in each jaw member for gripping workpieces which are larger than the jaw members can accommodate. The workpiece support device as disclosed in the aforementioned U.S. Patent Application is fabricated principally of plastic elastomer materials and in order to provide for a relatively low cost manufacturing, the fabrication tolerances are not rigid. While the workpiece support vise described in this application has provided satisfactory operation, at times the application of a gripping force to the workpiece being supported by swivel pegs causes a slight deflection of the swivel members. During such a deflection, contact between the swivel member and workpiece loses its squareness and at times a workpiece may slip from the swivel grip. It would be advantageous to provide a support arrangement having auxiliary gripping bodies which remain relatively rigid during the application of a gripping force by these members to a supported workpiece.
It is often desirable to utilize a jaw member face cladding with a workpiece support device. The cladding comprises interchangeable bodies formed of a material which in one instance protects a workpiece from damage by the vise, and alternatively, when the vise is fabricated of a relatively soft material, protects the jaw face from deformation by the workpiece. A relatively noncomplex and inexpensive arrangement utilizing an auxiliary support body is disclosed in the aforesaid copending U.S. Patent Application for captivating the clad body on a jaw member. An auxiliary support body restraint in accordance with this invention has an elongated segment of predetermined length. Since it is desirable to interchangeably use clad bodies of different thicknesses the provision of an auxiliary support body having an elongated segment of predetermined length, which is restrained on a jaw member, and which is adapted to accommodate clad bodies of different thicknesses can result in a relatively costly and complex means for restraining the auxiliary support body.